One of London's oldest theaters: a history. Shakespeare's Globe Theater

Globe Theater (London, UK) - repertoire, ticket prices, address, phone numbers, official website.

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Today's Globe in London is the third theater with this name. The first Globe Theater was built on the south bank of the Thames in 1599 at the expense of a troupe, of which William Shakespeare was also a shareholder. The building was destroyed by fire after 14 years of its existence. The rebuilt theater was razed to the ground by the Puritans in 1644. And already at the end of the 20th century, a fund was created for the reconstruction of Shakespeare's Globe, and in 1997 the theater opened its doors again to the audience.

The authors of the project tried to bring the modern version as close as possible to the original of 1599. There is no artificial lighting here, so performances are held only during the day and only in the summer. Microphones and speakers are also out of the question. Spectators of the 21st century who bought tickets to the stalls are forced to stand, just like the common people who come to the production in the 17th century. The roof, which only partially covers the Globe, is made of straw (impregnated with a fireproof composition).

Performances at the London Globe are available from late April until mid-autumn, and theater tours run year-round.

Information

Exposition opening hours: Monday - Sunday: 9:00 - 17:30 (opening hours may be changed during the theater season).

Entrance: 20 GBP, for children 5-15 years old: 10 GBP.

Prices on the page are for April 2019.

Shakespeare's Globe Theater is the third theater with this name, and it is famous for the fact that the great playwright himself was in his first troupe. In addition, most of the plays for the Globe Theater were also written by him.

Shakespeare's Globe Theater is located on the south bank of the Thames next to the Millennium Bridge. This is one of the most famous sights in London and if you love theater and Shakespeare, the Globe Theater is definitely worth a visit. You can get to the performance only from April to October, and interesting, informative tours are available throughout the year, they are held every 30 minutes.

Spectators inspect the entire building and go on stage. If desired, the tourists take pictures, and then visit the gift shop. Here you can buy T-shirts with famous Shakespeare quotes, books and mugs, sweets and tea.

How to get to the Globe Theater in London

Address: 21 New Globe Walk, Bankside, London, SE1 9DT.

Nearest metro stations:

• Blackfriars (District and Circle lines) 10 minutes walk
• Mansion House (District and Circle lines) 10 minutes walk
• London Bridge (Northern and Jubilee lines) 15 minutes walk

Opening hours of the Globe Theater in London - summer 2019

• Daily from 9:30 to 17:00
• Tours are held every half an hour in English, a booklet in Russian is provided. Tours do not take place during performances. The season runs from mid-April to mid-October. The theater may be closed on public holidays. Be sure to check the schedule on the official website before visiting.
• Closed 24 and 25 December

The cost of tickets for an excursion to the Shakespeare's Globe Theater - summer 2019

• Adults - 17 pounds
• Children (from 5 to 15 years old) - 10 pounds
• Pensioners (over 60 years old) - 15.5
• Students (required to present ID card) - 13.5 pounds
• Transaction fee (buying tickets on the official website) - 2.5 pounds

Shakespeare's first Globe Theater

It is known that in 1593 William Shakespeare joined the troupe of the outstanding tragic English actor Richard Burbage. The first theater was built at the expense of the artists of this troupe in 1599, many actors of the troupe, including the brothers Richard and Cutberg Burbage, Shakespeare and Hemmings, Condell and Philips, became its shareholders.

Near the entrance to the theater building there was a statue of Atlas, on whose shoulder a model of the globe was installed, girded with a ribbon with the inscription "The whole world is a theater." It is for this reason that the theater received the name "Globe".

The structure measured 29.6 by 30.1 meters and was an amphitheater of three floors. The roof was thatched and covered only the stage. There were no scenery, but instead of them there were signs with the inscriptions "Forest", "Palace", "Field".

The auditorium was more like a courtyard with galleries around it. Almost a thousand spectators watched the performance while standing, while talking, laughing, discussing the action. It smelled of sweat and beer, and sometimes there were fights.

On the sides of the galleries were boxes with comfortable chairs. These places were intended for those who are richer. The royal family did not come here for security reasons and there was no special box for them.

The stage was at a height of 1.5 meters from the floor, its width was 30 meters, and its depth was 8 meters. There were hatches from the basement, as well as on the roof, through which, if necessary, the actors could get on stage (when it was necessary to portray an angel, ghost or witch).

Unfortunately, the theater building did not last long - only 14 years. In June 1613, during one of the performances, the theatrical cannon misfired, and the sparks of its fire hit the thatched roof. A fire started, the audience was not injured, but the fire completely destroyed the building.

Second theater

Within a year, a new stone building with a tiled roof was erected on the site of the old theater. However, the Puritans who came to power banned all recreational activities as contrary to Protestant morality. In 1642 the theater was closed, and two years later it was completely demolished. Soon apartment houses appeared in its place.

It should be noted that at that time the authorities believed that theatrical performances corrupt morals. In addition, during epidemics, there were fears that the accumulation of people could cause the spread of the plague.

Contemporary Shakespeare's Globe Theater

The idea to restore Shakespeare's Globe Theater belongs to the American actor, director and director Sam Wanamaker. On his initiative, a special fund was formed and soon the construction of the theater building began. The new Globe Theater opened in 1997, but, unfortunately, Sam Wanamaker did not live to see this momentous event.

According to his project, when creating the theater, everything possible was done so that it resembled the original as much as possible. There is only daylight here, and therefore performances are held only in the daytime, the roof is covered with straw, however, impregnated with fire-fighting composition. There can be no talk of microphones and speakers, and spectators who have bought tickets to the “ground floor” will watch the performance standing, like commoners of the old days.

During his short life, William Shakespeare wrote twelve tragedies, sixteen comedies and six historical chronicles, four poems and one hundred and fifty-four sonnets. His plays are on thousands of stages, and there are more and more productions and adaptations. More than four centuries have passed, and the works of "Romeo and Juliet", "Hamlet" and "Othello", "King Lear" and others excite, delight and shock.

Official website of the Globe Theater in London

Shakespeare's Globe Theater is one of the best English and European theaters. Here are both plays by Shakespeare and contemporary authors.

The very first Globe began operating in 1599, and it was built on the south side of the Thames, away from the municipal authorities, who did not really like places like the theater. Now the Globe Theater is located at New Globe Walk, 21. To get here, it is advisable to use the nearest metro stations Blackfriars and Southwark. Entrance to the theater is paid, the cost of standing places is 5 pounds.

The history of the theater and its actors

The Globe Theater is considered to be the very first theater in London. Before him, there was another theater on this site, which was called the Theater, but it was destroyed, and the Globe was built in the same place and from its own materials.

The first director of the theater was Richard Burbage. He was born into an acting family, his father owned the first public theater in London. Richard, according to the reviews of viewers and critics, was an excellent actor who knew how to transform into his characters truthfully and emotionally. Glory came to Burbage when he began to play Shakespeare's plays in the troupe of the Lord Chamberlain. The acquaintance of Richard Burbage and Shakespeare gave rise to the idea to organize his own theater. The official owner of the Globe was Richard, together with his brother they owned half of it. Shakespeare owned 12%, the rest was distributed among the other 3 actors.

Initially, the Globe was a round platform surrounded by a low wall with balconies for spectators. It was on this site that the performances took place. There were no scenery here either, instead of them special signs were placed that indicated the time and place of this scene.

In 1613, during the performance of Henry VIII, the theater burned to the ground. It was rebuilt a year later, but did not last long, since puritanical sentiments in the country did not favor such establishments. The globe was demolished and a residential building was built in its place.

A New History of the Modern Globe

The new Globe was rebuilt according to found drawings, sketches and drawings, but 200 meters from the first building. It happened at the initiative of the famous director from the USA Sam Wenamaker. For more than three years he has been raising funds for the renewal of this world cultural property. The sketching and planning team included renowned architect and planner Theo Crosby and Buro Happold. On most issues, they were advised by art historian Andrew Herr.

The new theater was opened in 1997. It is clear that the construction was not without innovations, but the builders and architects tried to make the theater as original as possible. Here, as before, there are 3 tiers of hanging balconies, and all the places near the stage are only standing. The modern theater has a backstage, scenery, fire extinguishing systems, and lighting. It is interesting that the roof in the theater is thatched, the same as the first Globe originally had. That's what caused the fire.

The theater is designed for 1300 spectators, with 700 standing places, although in reality the theater can accommodate about 3000 visitors. Since the roof only covers the stage, performances can only take place during the warm season. In winter, the premises are used for teaching acting skills to students of universities, colleges, etc.

Repertoire of the Globe Theater

The world fame of the Globe is confirmed by its copies around the world. There are similar theaters in the USA, Germany and Italy.

The main repertoire of the theater is Shakespeare's plays, which is why the Globe is called Shakespeare's theater. By the way, next to the Globe there is a small museum that contains information about the life and work of the writer, his works and personal items. Together with theater actors, you can experience the plays The Taming of the Shrew, Henry IV, Hamlet, King Lear and others. The last years of his life, W. Shakespeare did not participate in the life of the theater, and after his death, his acting friends published the first collection of works by the great writer, which included 36 works. It must be said that Shakespeare's best dramatic plays were completed and improved right within the walls of the Globe, during rehearsals.

To get to the performance, you need to pre-book tickets on the website, or purchase the day before. The theater is open from May to October, but tourists can view it all year round. The time of performances in the theater often changes, so it needs to be clarified. The Globe is both a museum, a theater and the heart of the cultural life of the British capital.

The Globe Theater is a famous theater in London associated with the great William Shakespeare.

The Globe was erected in 1599 using timber structures belonging to an earlier theatre, simply called the Theatre, built in Shoreditch in 1576 by James Burbage, father of Richard Burbage. The Burbages first rented the land on which the "Theater" was built for 21 years. In 1598, the owner of the land increased the rent, and the Burbages dismantled the "Theater" beam by beam, after which they transported it to the Thames and assembled it again, but already as a "Globe".

In July 1613, the Globe burned down when the play "Henry VIII" was on its stage. The theatrical cannon misfired and the thatched wooden beams caught fire. No one was hurt then, except for one spectator, who put out the burning trousers with a bottle of ale.

The exact dimensions of the Globe are unknown, but its plan can be accurately reconstructed based on the research that has been done. The data claim that it was an open three-tiered amphitheater surrounded by a rather high wall, the diameters of which were 97 - 102 feet or 29.6-31.1 meters, accommodating up to 3 thousand spectators. Wenceslas Hollar's sketch shows the Globe as a circular building. Later, in a similar form, which did not exist by that time, it was included in the engraved so-called. "Long landscape". In 1997-1998. the discovery of a small part of the foundation of the Globe Theater showed that it had the shape of a polygon with twenty (or eighteen) sides.

On the inner sides of its wall were lodges for the London aristocracy. Above them were galleries for the wealthy strata. There were a total of 3 levels of seating. The most privileged spectators were located right on the stage. The stage had a platform at the base - "parterre", on which for 1 penny people could watch the performance while standing. The groundlings ate oranges and hazelnuts during the performance, the husks of which were found during excavations of the theater.

The rectangle of the stage, or "proscenium", is somewhat pushed into the center of the open courtyard. The stage was approximately 43 feet wide (13.1 meters), 27 feet deep and raised 5 feet (1.52 meters) off the ground. The stage had a hatch used by the performers to exit from the basement under the stage. Perhaps there were other hatches. The theater stage was without a curtain.

At the request of director and boatman Sam Wanamaker, a new "Globe" was built according to an Elizabethan plan.

During the construction of the building, they sought to obtain an optimal copy corresponding to the original. The discovery of the remains of the original "Globe" contributed to this and influenced the final decision and plans for the location of the recreated building. The modernization of the theater consisted of the installation of lighting equipment, roof sprinklers to protect against fire, and partially connected the theater to a modern foyer, visitor center and additional backstage area to support performances. According to safety rules, the performance can be attended by no more than 1,300 people, and this is about half of the 3,000 spectators who could accommodate the theater of Shakespeare's times.

The Globe Theater is very similar to the one that existed 400 years ago. It helps to improve the plays and time of Shakespeare and brings to us the magic of art, which is also in the real theater.

How to get there?

The Globe Theater is one of the oldest London theaters, closely associated with the name of the great English playwright William Shakespeare. At the end of the 16th century, professional acting troupes appeared, turning from wandering booths into permanent operating theaters. The first special buildings are also being built - before that, performances were played at fairs, and in palace banquet halls, inns, and on grounds for baiting bears and cockfights. The first was James Burbage, who built in 1576 a room for theatrical performances, which he called the Theater. In 1598 it was dismantled and transported to a new location, and in 1599 the building of the Globe Theater was built.

The theater was owned by the actors of the troupe "Servants of the Lord Chamberlain". The troupe included two sons of James Burbage - Richard and Cuthbert, as well as William Shakespeare. The theater may have opened with a production of "Henry V," but the first documented production at the new theater was Ben Jonson's play "Everyone Without Their Quirks" ("Everyone's Out of His Mind"). June 29, 1613 during the performance of "Henry VIII" in the theater happened
fire. A shot from a theatrical cannon set fire to the thatched roof and wooden walls. None of the spectators were hurt. Rebuilt in 1614, the theater was closed by the Puritans in 1642, like all other theaters in London. Two years later, the building was demolished and tenement houses were built in its place.

The exact location of the theater was established during archaeological excavations in 1988-89. In particular, it turned out that the Globe building was not a circle in plan, but a polygon with 20 sides. The stage rose one and a half meters above the floor, and a rectangular proscenium protruded into the stalls with standing places. In the floor of the stage there was a hatch from which ghosts appeared, and in the depths there was a balcony, the so-called "upper stage". The stage did not have a curtain, the performances were played during the day, with virtually no scenery and props, there were a lot of "theatrical conventions" known to the public. For example, if a character changed into a different costume, then no one recognized him.

A modern theater called Shakespeare's Globe Theater was built in 1997 about 200 meters from where the old one was located. The new building was built according to the plans of that time and recreates the appearance of the Shakespeare theater as much as possible. Since 1666 - the Great Fire of London - this is the first building that is allowed to be thatched. Performances are given from May to October, and guided tours are held all year round.